1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a parking assist apparatus and a parking assist method. More particularly, the invention relates to a parking assist apparatus and a parking assist method in which a target parking position of a vehicle is set in accordance with an operation performed by a driver, and parking assist is performed on the basis of a path to the set target parking position.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known parking assist apparatus as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 11-208420, sets a target parking position in accordance with a positioning operation of a setting display displayed on an image showing surroundings of a vehicle, and calculates a path to the set target parking position, and guides the vehicle along the path generated through calculation. In such a parking assist apparatus, if the set target parking position is changed by a positioning operation of the setting display on the displayed image after the guidance of the vehicle to the target parking position along the calculated path has begun, a path to the post-change target parking position is calculated, and the vehicle is guided along a path generated through calculation. Therefore, according to the parking assist apparatus, if a target parking position is reset, a vehicle can be guided along a new path.
However, in some cases, calculation of a path to a set or reset target parking position of a vehicle cannot generate an effective path along which the vehicle is to be moved. In such an event, since it is impossible to guide the vehicle to the target parking position, the target parking position needs to be changed by a vehicle driver performing a positioning operation of the setting display in the displayed image. If, in such a case, the position of the setting display can be moved in all directions on the display image, a setting operation to a region where the parking of the vehicle is impossible is allowed to be performed. Therefore it may be difficult for a driver to understand a necessary positioning operation of the setting display in order to set a target parking position that assures generation of a path thereto.